Guide4Living

Alcohol - not so innocent!

July 27, 2006 on 10:45 pm | In Home, Drug Abuse & Addiction | No Comments

Alcohol abuse is becoming a major problem in most countries today.  The National Health Service in Wales has recently stated that they expect to loose about 260 people this year as a result of alcohol related conditions (reported by BBC news).

Across England and Scotland the same message is being ‘whispered’ about the serious problems society and health services face because of alcohol.

In New Zealand they reported deaths of around 150 per year in total from alcohol related conditions in 1996.  In 2003 fatal crashes alone caused 124 deaths, thanks to drinking and driving.  Conditions such as liver and heart damage, digestive disorders, cancer and high blood pressure are all on the increase according to the Ministry of Health. When will the alarm bells start to ring I wonder? 

It is estimated that there are several million Japanese with a serious alcohol problem, yet in Japan alcohol is seen as an important part of socialising and winding down and many a business transaction or negotiation is carried out in bars and restaurants under the influence of alcohol.  In fact it is even known that getting drunk in Japan can play an integral part in ones future promotional prospects within an organization.

Addiction to Alcohol seems to be largely ignored in most reports but at least there are people out there trying to make some noise about this drug (yes Alcohol is a drug) that is causing and will continue to cause serious harm to society.

Excessive drinking is not only causing problems relating to anti-social behaviour but it also causes more serious health problems like cirrhosis of the liver, cancer, depression, death and injury on the roads, pancreatitis, family breakdown, drowning, suicide, unwanted pregnancies, babies being damaged by drinking mothers and violence.  I also wonder how much productivity is lost to a country as a result of drinking?

It has taken society so long to make a stand against smoking (also a drug).  We are willing to shout out loud about other drugs like cocaine or cannabis but the one drug society is forgetting about is alcohol!!

Let us not be silent about this killer – lets us kill the silence and scream out loud about alcohol addiction and the fact that alcohol is a drug!!

by Doreen

Addiction

June 28, 2006 on 8:17 am | In Drug Abuse & Addiction | 1 Comment

What a controversial subject but one that is infiltrating society in ways we are still not sure how to cope with. Drugs, Alcohol and so called ‘natural’ highs in the form of party pills are taking over our lives and we are sitting by and watching.  Addiction (alcohol, drugs, sex, food, games, gambling) is a huge issue in the world today but not enough people are willing to recognise that addiction it as a disease, not a lack of will power. 

What should we do about it?

Take a peak at the information we offer on this topic (guide4living) and then give us your view please.

Doreen